TPG Facing Court Over 000 Call Problems

One argument sometimes used against voice over internet protocol (VOIP) telephone services is that they don’t always identify your location when you make a call to the 000 emergency number. The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) is taking TPG to court for a more fundamental problem: a six-month period where some of TPG’s phone subscribers apparently couldn’t access 000 at all.

ACMA has filed in the Federal Court, alleging that TPG breached the Telecommunications (Emergency Call Service) Determination 2009 for a period of six months between March and September 2011. During that period, ACMA alleges, TPG phone customers were unable to call the service. ACMA is responsible for ensuring all phone providers provide access to 000 calls.

TPG hasn’t had a great year court-wise, copping a $2 million fine for deceptive broadband advertising back in June.

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Back when i was working at iiNet and Naked DSL was fresh it was in the contract as well as verbally explained to the custmer that VOIP was not a phone service to rely on in an emergency and should not be replacing a PSTN line at all if you required a phone that could be used in emergency.

iiNets waiver isn't contracting out of a legal obligation. You waive all your rights to CSG and you are told that your VOIP essentially isn't stable; if you have no power or your internet is down, you can't call out.

TPG is in strife because the calls were actually not possible even when the system was functional. Apples and Oranges.